Our Fateful Dance
by Rikaruru
Summary: I was to be their greatest accomplishment. Their ultimate weapon. But...I escaped. The ability to transform into virtually any Pokémon was mine. Yet...no-one else could be trusted. They're all evil. Humans are just evil, corrupt beings...except...him...
1. Memories of the Past

**Hey guys! Well, here it is. For everyone new, this story is a remake of my story An Eternal Legato**. **When you read this, it may or may not still be there. I really haven't decided whether I'm going to delete it or not. The reason I shut down the original was due to lack of structure and quality. Let's hope that doesn't happen again. Especially since it's been two years since I stated the original.**

**For anyone who's read the original, though, here's AEL's remake, as promised. There's going to be some things changed of course. Some things will be changed around and different people will meet at different times.**

**0-0-0-0-0**

"Everything's gone..."

My hope. My life. My _sanity. _

"Even my home..."

I looked at the burnt house with tears streaming down my eyes, though you couldn't tell due to the pouring rain.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two tombstones. I slowly made my way to them, my heart sinking as I made out what was inscribed on them. Both of my parents had died in the fire that destroyed the house I grew up in.

Memories started flooding through me. The same ones that helped me keep my sanity for two years.

Two years ago, when I was fourteen, I decided I was going to be a Pokémon Trainer. Although my parents were against the idea at first, my brother was eventually able to convince them to let me go.

"Hey! Miss!" a voice shouted from behind me. I snapped around and saw an intimidating man walking towards me. I could barely make out anything with the lighting and the rain, but him just being there...walking towards me...it frightened me. Instinctively , I muttered a curse to myself and started running in the opposite direction, straight into the woods.

"Hey!" he shouted again. "There's wild Pokémon out there!"

Even though I could hear a bit of concern in his voice, I kept running. After a few minutes, I slowed down a bit. I knew he had stopped chasing me.

I paused for a moment, trying to catch my breath while leaning on a tree. What happened to me? I used to be caring, giving, and out-going. Now, I was hateful, selfish, and scared... although, after what I'd been through, I couldn't think of anybody who wouldn't have changed.

Back then, my brother was a high-class Trainer, known for clearing five of Sinnoh's gyms in only two months before taking a break in Hearthome City. He had stopped by for a visit around the time I wanted to become a Trainer. After convincing my parents to let me become a Trainer, he gave me an Eevee and told me to meet him in Jubilife City. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, yet one of my saddest as I walked away from Twinleaf Town, not only independent, but also a Pokémon Trainer.

"Where should I go now...?" I wondered softly aloud. My parents and my home were gone, and I had no idea where my brother was. After three months out in the wild wandering around Hoenn looking for a way to reach Sinnoh, you would think I had a backup plan if home wasn't an option.

"Maybe I should go to Sandgem Town," I whispered, pushing myself off of the tree. I didn't even get to walk two feet before I started to hear a bird flapping its wings in the air.

"Starly!" the Route 201 native cried as it began a nosedive straight for me. The tiny gray-colored bird didn't hesitate in it's attack, making it's best effort to make me leave its territory.

"Please go away...I've hurt too many of you guys and I've only been in Sinnoh for two days..." I muttered, knowing the Starly could still hear me. When it didn't relent from its dive, I decided that it probably didn't care for my warning.

Without hesitation, a bright light started emitting from my body, akin to a Pokémon evolving. What words didn't convey, wonders did, as the Starly stopped its dive just above the tree line. The poor bird must have been confused as the light started getting smaller, finally disappearing into the clothes I'd been wearing. Curious, the Starly stood its ground, deciding to get closer and examine the collapsed bundle of clothing.

"Take this!" I shouted, although to a normal human it would've sounded like the name of the Pokémon I'd just transformed into. Without a second thought, I emerged from the pile of clothes as Shinx. . Before the Starly had time to comprehend the blur of black and blue fur charging it, I had bitten its neck and released a bolt of electricity out of my body. I gently released the now-unconscious Starly from my mouth, before scurrying back to my clothes. I sighed as I reverted back to my human form, putting my clothes back on before anybody noticed. I already distrusted people. I didn't need people using me or thinking I was a freak as well.

"This is disgusting..." I sighed as I noticed my clothes weren't only wet, but also muddy.

Ironically, just as I finished that thought, the heavy rain began to subside. Still, just because the rain had stopped didn't make my clothes any dryer.

"I should probably wash these clothes on Sandgem's beach..." I said as I continued east. With all of the traveling I'd been doing over the last few months, there was no way I'd lose my sense of direction after a fight. At the very least, I'd run into the ocean and could walk up the coast to Sandgem.

"...sure there was a girl running this way, David?" a woman's voice came out from behind just as I started walking. That was another one of my abilities. All five of my senses were enhanced due to the Pokémon DNA in me.

"Yeah, she was in front of the Rivera's old home," a male voice, the same one calling for me in Twinleaf, responded. "She was drenched. Didn't even have a jacket. Just a worn down black and white shirt with blue jeans."

"So why are we out here looking for her?" the woman said. The faint sound of twigs cracking made my heart pound harder.

"Well, Sarah," David started, "She didn't have any Poké Balls on her from what I saw. I'm worried."

The two continued to talk while I broke into a sprint, heading east. I didn't care what their intentions were. No one could be trusted.

Just thinking about people in general made me remember what happened all of those years ago. After I stopped by Sandgem as a fourteen year-old, I headed to Jubilife. I expected to be enthralled by it's grandeur, something I never really saw much of in my quaint life in Twinleaf and Sandgem. Instead, my life made an abrupt, horrendous turn.

0-0-0-0-0

"Let me go!" I shouted, kicking and screaming as hard as I could.

"Would you just shut the hell up?" the guy holding me said calmly as he punched me in the stomach. I weakly looked up to the man. I'd seen the type of clothes the man wore from the news before. He was from the organization Team Galactic, allegedly dedicated to studying energy, though many critics were skeptical. Well, they developed one more critic for sure.

"Hurry up and tie her up before she starts yelping again," he said to his partner, a girl wearing the same kind of wig and uniform. The only way to really tell them apart was by their figure.

"Someone help!" I shouted again. It was useless. Jubilife was just too noisy for anyone to hear a girl being assaulted in an alleyway.

"Hey, girl," the other woman said to me softly, leaning down to my small 5'1" stature and pulling my chin. She unexpectedly kneed me in the stomach. "He said shut up."

I could do nothing but gasp for air at that point. The knee to my gut literally knocked the wind out of me. Just as I started to breath heavier, the woman placed a damp rag over my mouth and nose.

"Sleep Powder?" I asked as soon as the rag was taken off, starting to lose consciousness.

I was let go, hitting the cold cement ground. I couldn't feel it, though. I couldn't hear as I looked up and saw both grunts talking. Soon, I couldn't see, as I'd fallen asleep.

I wish I'd stayed unconscious.

"...should be waking up soon." I slowly opened my eyes, looking for the voice I heard and forcefully shut them as they were greeted by a binding light. I looked to the side to see the room's actual color, a dull gray. I looked up again to the light, letting my eyes adjust. It was like the light at a dentist's office. After getting a feel of the surrounding, I tried to move.

Panic ensued. I was strapped to some kind of examination table. I screamed for help, but no one except a man with neat and short black hair in a white lab coat was in the room. His clothing reminded me to check what I was wearing. I'm sure if I could see myself I was blushing. I only had some underwear on, and it wasn't the set I had been wearing walking through Jubilife.

"Ah...she's awake. I'll begin the procedure immediately, Master Cyrus," the man said, putting the phone he was just talking into down on the nearby tray. The same tray had all sorts of knifes, scalpels, and other medical equipment. A single glance made me shudder. Knifes usually didn't scare me, yet put together with the "something really bad is going to happen" atmosphere and you had a very scared fourteen-year old.

"I'm going to enjoy this. You have the honor of becoming Team Galactic's greatest weapon, child," he said as he picked up a syringe filled with a green liquid. Scared to death as I was, the anesthesia brought a little comfort.

"I bet you think this is anesthesia or something," the man said as he got closer, flicking the needle for nothing but intimidation. I meekly nodded, fear building from what he was inferring. "It's not. It's actually a fluid that increases pain. I'd rather see exactly where the pain in this procedure is going to be. Of course, I suppose I'll need another apparatus to measure location..."

At that, I started screaming again. Various cries of "Who are you!" and "What are you going to do with me!" The man simply smirked and moved to grab some needle ended wires.

"What do you mean I'm going to be a weapon!" I shouted, just before he was about to insert the first needle into my right shoulder. He slightly opened his mouth, about to answer, but gave that chilling smirk again. He proceeded to jab the needle into my shoulder.

And again with my left shoulder. My legs. My sides. Even one into my neck. Each insertion earned a new blood-curling scream. Just when I though he was finished, he pulled out a small surgeon's drill.

"Did I mention the drug that increases pain also prevents the patient from fainting?"

The next hour involved nothing but torture. I can't remember much of it, the searing pain blocked out any form of normal thinking. I couldn't even tell what the man was doing. The part I remembered the most, however, was when he pulled out one certain syringe.

"Well, here's a decade worth of research," he whispered to himself. He inserted the syringe into an open cut he made. The pain was enormous. Not just because of the open wound insertion, though. Everything in my body at once started to erupt in a fiery pain. Every muscle felt like it was have a spasm, my body wouldn't stop shaking, and other actions I couldn't even explain were happening.

Then he did it again. And again. For every cut he made everywhere on my body, he inserted a new shot.

The pain never went away. So much pain, that I could barely hear the next sentence.

"When you wake up, you'll never be the same."

He jammed a final syringe into my arm, the pain so intense it knocked me out almost instantly.

He was right. When I woke up, I felt... different. I saw no hands. Only the paws of an Eevee.

0-0-0-0-0

**There we go. So, if you didn't notice I did change a few things. Nothing major (I think). Some events will be moved around, obviously. Review if you have any suggestions, ideas, or comments!**


	2. A Wavering Heart

**Wowzers. I'm pretty slow at updating. But…at least I'm updating in the first place right? Right? **

…**Yeah, I'll stop letting you guys down in the future sometime, I promise. :( **

**Read, Review, or Enjoy! Seriously, any of those three are fine. All three is the best!**

* * *

Sandgem Town. It was just a speck on Sinnoh's map for many trainers. At least, that's what I remembered it being years ago. Walking down the shore and looking onto the town, it was just as quaint and small as I remembered it.

I unconsciously ran my fingers through my silver hair. As a child, I always loved the color. I wondered what it would be like to have silver hair. Now, I cursed it. It was nothing but another sign of what happened to me.

"Soaking wet…" I sighed. I tried wringing the water out of my hair, just in time for a gust of wind to blast me. You would think that it would be a good thing to get helped by nature's blow-dryer, but did nothing more but make me shiver. The only plus side was the sun, a warming beacon and a stark contrast to the otherwise dismal cold I found myself in.

I sat down on the sand, curling up my legs and huddling up for more warmth, resting on the sand and letting the sun and breeze try to dry my clothes.

"Mommy! The beach is so awesome!" A shrill high-pitched voice shot out from my right. I turned my head immediately, seeing a small girl and her mother some way down the shore, most likely having just walked over the dunes.

"I can't have any peace…" I sighed as I turned away and headed back to the main part of Sandgem. It was mainly a straightforward sandy path to town. Even better was the lack of people on the way.

Multiple thoughts ran through my mind as I walked. Why did I just leave?

"Because people are scary."

You sound like a kid.

"But I've been through so much."

I stilted the running dialogue with myself there. I couldn't even dare to think people could be trusted anymore. I couldn't let my guard down.

I quickly walked through the rural paths of the town, basically meandering. I saw few people along the way, another perk to it being early morning. I made sure to avoid them the best I could, however, often taking sharp turns or turning around.

As I walked along, once again being diverted to my left, I noticed a familiar building close in front of me. My heart started to pound harder, getting nervous as I got closer. It was Rowan's lab. Rowan taught me the basics of a Pokémon journey, and the two of us developed a small friendship. It didn't really matter now, though. I'd had enough run-ins with "professors" and "scientists". Two stories tall. Rowan's lab really didn't look too different to me. It still hugged a forest, and it still didn't really look like a lab to me. I slowly made my way to the building, coming up to the back side of it. After all, trees offered good cover, and since Rowan's lab was hugging the forest, I took advantage of the fact. As I reached the back wall, I focused my hearing up to the window above me, hearing some muffled voices. I smiled at my ability to do so, thinking of one of the few benefits to the torture I'd been through. All of my senses had been heightened, especially hearing. My hearing range was great, and it could even be improved further when I focused it on one point.

Just hearing a few mumbles couldn't satisfy my curiosity, however. I rested my hand on my chest and took a deep breath. My body began to brighten, akin to an evolving Pokémon. Envisioning myself as a Starly, I could almost even feel the DNA in my body rearranging. My form started to shrink as my clothes started to collapse. The feeling was as strange as it always was, though it wasn't really a bad or painful thing. In the end…I couldn't describe an indescribable feeling. After only a few seconds, I squirmed out of my clothes in the form of the small bird and flew up to a branch right next to a window, trying to get a good view into the room. From the better position, I focused my hearing again, this time being able to hear clearly.

"-you really think they're ready?" a young male asked, talking to the familiar old man in front of him.

"Well, he's 16. That's an appropriate age for a trainer with as much skill as him," Professor Rowan replied, stroking his beard slowly. "Besides, we sent out four trainers at the same time. I'm confident in their abilities and friendship."

"Who are you talking about…?" I whispered to myself aloud.

"Well, Lucas is a smart kid, if not a bit too innocent," his assistant laughed.

At this, the two went back to work, so engrossed that they didn't notice me just perched on the branch outside the window.

After a small moment, I took off, headed in the direction of Route 202. I didn't know why. I knew that Lucas had left recently enough for Rowan and his assistant to still be talking about it.

Something just fluttered in my heart at the thought. I hated people. Lucas was a person. Therefore, I hated Lucas.

That was my logic for every person in the world. In my mind, they were only three exceptions, my parents and my brother. I hadn't even though about Lucas.

I started to see the path exiting out of Sandgem and the start of Route 202. Almost as fast as I made the decision to pursue, though, hesitation crept in my mind.

Why exactly was I doing this? Why was my heart beating so quickly?

No… I didn't want… didn't need human interaction. I kept on flying. I was just going to follow Lucas. If something turned up…I could go to him.

"I need to time to think!" I shouted to myself mentally as I flew down to the trees. I calmed myself, taking deep breaths. Good thing I picked a bird-like Pokémon…I've found them to have much better breathing and-

Wait. What was that off in the distance? I peered off into the distance from the tree I landed on. There was a relatively straight path near the tree I was perched on, so it was easy to see a happy-go-lucky girl bouncing happily down the path.

That and she had obnoxiously blue hair.

For some reason, I didn't move. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was curiosity. Either way, she stopped right before reaching my tree. I backed off slightly, afraid she'd seen me.

"I see you little Starly~" the girl sang, looking straight up to me. My heart skipped as I flew off and flew back several yards, keeping an eye on the girl. "Lucky for you, I don't have any Poké Balls."

"Well, that's comforting," I said sarcastically, knowing that all she heard was "Starly" repeatedly.

"Hey Dawn!" a voice cried out from behind me. The rate my heart started pounded dwarfed every moment of the day. I didn't pause and descend out of fear, per se. I paused because I knew that when I turned around it would be-

"Oh! Hey Lucas!" Dawn called out, waving energetically.

I slowly started flapping my wings, turning as I gained air. There he was. Lucas hadn't changed much in two years outside of growing a little taller and looked more mature in general.

My attention changed from my childhood friend to the Pokémon to his side.

"Man…there's so many of you on this route…I'm getting bored!" the Turtwig said smugly. Great. The first Pokémon to actually talk to me for a while had to be a smug little runt.

I only glared at him, too confused to think much further than that.

"Weren't you way ahead of me?" Dawn asked, causing me and my fellow Pokémon to turn our attention to her.

"I forgot to give you guys Poké Balls when we left Sandgem," Lucas gave a nervous chuckle, scratching his dark blue hair. "Though, I should probably teach you how to use them first."

"Hey! I know how to use them!" Dawn pouted.

"Yeah…that was just an excuse. Use Tackle Turtwig!" Lucas shouted.

Without warning, Turtwig jumped at me, ready to obey his Trainer. I flew up a few feet, easily avoiding it.

"Having trouble?" I playfully asked. "You can't really fly, you know."

"I-I think I'd know that!" Turtwig retorted before jumping up again, a few feet too short once again. Taunting him, I flew back a few feet and lowered my altitude.

"T-That's unfair!" he cried out.

"You have no right to say what's fair or not…" I glared angrily. "If you'd gone through all of the things I'd been through, you'd be f-"

My sentence was cut off as I felt a sharp pain strike my back. My back felt like it was just set on fire. I snapped around to see a Chimchar. That explained the pain. It literally was fire! Just as I was about to react, another Tackle hit me from behind.

Everything started to fade out into darkness. I cursed at myself for transforming into a Starly. I was so worried about blending in that I made myself ridiculously weak. I turned slowly to Lucas before a familiar ball flew from his hand. The last thing I remembered before fainting was a red light enveloping me and my thoughts fading away with my consciousness.

* * *

**For being so late, I felt as if this chapter was rushed. **

**The good thing is that I've actually got a schedule that allows me to write more! **

**To finish, let me comment on a few things. You'll noticed I used Dawn instead of Claire like I did in AEL. No, I didn't get rid of Claire. She's too awesome. Instead, I actually added Dawn to match Lucas so I could have both Sinnoh Trainers. Also you'll remember that I mentioned this is a remake, obviously. I am changing a lot of major things. This isn't me using different words and grammar. This is a full-fledged remake. **

**I smiled when I got 15 reviews in just one chapter. I seriously love you guys for dealing with this, and I'm sorry for all of the disappointment. I'm alive, you're alive, so let's all be happy! =D **


	3. Escape Artist

**Enjoy, Read, and Review! Pick any two…or all three. That works too. :3**

* * *

Panic was a very light word to describe the feelings I felt as I awakened.

Around me was a surreal landscape with trees interspersed about. Any Pokémon could recognize the feeling that something was wrong, though. A Poké Ball was designed to simulate the environment the caught Pokémon was used too, but it would never amount to the real thing. It didn't surprise me, really. It wasn't the first time I'd experienced it, though it was one of the few times the Poké Ball hadn't been modified to change the environment into a dark abyss of sorts. Normal Trainers didn't have access to that kind of tech...

"Well, this is the first capture of my journey," a voice echoed through the air. The echo gave me a chance to focus on...what was most likely Lucas' voice, noting how much deeper and mature it was, though slightly high compared to an otherwise deep voiced teen.

I wanted...needed, to know what was going on outside the Poké Ball. In theory since you were pure energy, Pokémon who knew how to could use that change to sense energy outside the Poké Ball. My panic-stricken mind didn't make it easy to focus, but slowly the outside world came into focus in a sort of darkness, the energy from others contrasting brightly.

My mind started to picture a white blur coming into focus against a black background. It was Lucas, and by the looks of it, he was alone. Was he just talking to himself?

No…he was with that other girl. Dawn, if I recalled correctly. They were probably planning something now that I was captured. I just couldn't sense her because I couldn't think straight.

I just needed to escape. That was all I needed to do. That shouldn't need much planning...

"Well, come on out Starly!" Lucas shouted, tossing the Poké Ball. I burst out, energy taking the form of my body before I physically appeared.

Lucas knelt down to me and smiled warmly. "Hey there."

My response wasn't as warm however. I hopped back the best I could, but an immediate feeling of pain ran across my back. I fell face first against the ground. Struggling back up, I stared at the Trainer's angrily. I had to get away, and here was my chance to do so.

"You're still burned, dear," Dawn said with a guilty expression, kneeling down behind me. I recoiled from her touch and flew up to a branch despite the pain.

"S-Starly!" Lucas exclaimed worriedly. "Get down from there!"

"I'm not your little pet!" I retorted angrily even though I knew they couldn't understand me.

"Please get down! We need to heal your burn!" Dawn pleaded.

"You were the stupid humans who gave it to me in the first place," I whined, tears starting to form. I knew it would hurt, but now was my only chance. I took off into the air.

"S-Starly! Come back!" Lucas' voice shouted behind me. I ignored the cries, though, just trying to fly away towards Jubilife without fainting.

Adrenaline was the only thing keeping me conscious as the burn on my back continued to be a source of constant pain. Not just an ache, but it felt like my back was still set on fire.

And here I thought I had escaped getting tortured.

As long as there were people around, I wasn't safe. This little experience only proved that fact even more.

After about five minutes of flying, I slowly eased myself from the air onto a branch, trying to stay as far from the main path as possible.

As the adrenaline wore off and passed through my body, the pain rose higher and higher. This burn would heal naturally faster than it would if I were human, but it would still scar and hurt for awhile without a Burn Heal. If I had to get into a fight or was attacked, I'd lose without a doubt. It didn't even matter if I transformed into a different Pokémon, since the burn would hurt incrementally to the size and health.

That was one of the terrible things about this power, and _they_ tested it in the most inhumane ways possible. At first, they did something small. They cut my thumb while I was human. With a press of a remote, a shock of painful electricity shot from the collar on my neck to the rest of my body.

"Transform into a Shinx," he shouted, pressing the button again. Whimpering, I did so as he grabbed my paw, _admiring_ the injury that preserved itself through my shift in DNA.

Unconsciously, I gripped my arm, recalling they repeated the test, breaking my arm a second time. Mercifully, they healed my arm while I was a Pokémon, meaning my human form wouldn't have to suffer through the pain.

No matter how I looked at it, between my fear of people and my fear of dying, being not dead kinda took a higher priority. I had to go to Jubilife City to get a Burn Heal.

I took a deep breath before I started to fly again, headed north to the large city. Route 202 wasn't very large, so it should have taken about another thirty minutes to reach it by flight. The rest of the afternoon went on relatively normal, though I had to take breaks frequently to ease the pain of the burn, thinking of the past few day's events during them. It was a wonder I didn't faint on the way.

Finally, after what I could have guessed what about two hours because of the stops, Jubilife and its large skyscrapers and urban landscapes came over the horizon. If it took me at least two hours to fly in, there was no way Lucas and that girl would be here anytime soon. I could go in, get the Burn Heal, and go.

Before anything though, I needed to land and rest for a bit. I flew over the city until I spotted a small park. I landed on a branch of a decently sized tree, sniffing around and seeing if I could any signs that the tree was another Pokémon's territory. Content that it was safe, I looked out to the rest of the park. A few stray Pokémon that you'd see around a city meandered around, none really bothering me. Besides, the few humans jogging in the late evening worried me much more.

I lied there, staying still to avoid drawing attention. Eventually, though, my eyes got heavier and I started to doze off.

Come on...someone would get me if I feel asleep.

The pain and pure exhaustion won in the end, though. Sleep overcame me, bringing nightmares of the people around and the day to come.

* * *

"M-Mommy!"

Ugh...where was I?

"Mommymommymommymommymommy-"

"Yes, dear?"

"There's a bird up there!"

I slowly opened my eyes, using my wing to shield my eyes from the sun blasting my eyes. How long has I been asleep?

"Can I catch it?"

I looked down to see the source of the high pitched voice. A little girl and her mom were looking up at me. Instantly, I took off at top speed. The adrenaline that filled me left just as fast because as soon as I landed on a tall rooftop, my back started with that familiar burning sensation. Not as bad as the night before, but painful nonetheless.

But that was fine. Now I had a bit of time to rest as I looked over the city on top of the building, contemplating my strategy for the day. My overall goal was to get a Burn Heal. That's what I needed. There was no way I could get into a Poké Mart as a Starly, due to the somewhat high security against wild Pokémon. The only choice I had was to become a human.

But that was...well, I left my clothes behind Rowan's lab when I transformed into a Starly. I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention, especially wandering the streets of Jubilife. Being nude wouldn't help that in the slightest.

That said, even if I got clothes somehow, the idea of walking in the city was terrifying. That's how I ended up getting kidnapped in the first place.

"Let's take this one step at a time," I mused out loud. Peering over the edge of the rooftop, luck immediately shined on me. A rich looking blonde girl was walking on the sidewalk with an expensive and large looking purse and several shopping bags. First I escape Lucas, and now this. Impulsive thinking was getting the better of me. I dove from the rooftop and flew right in front of her face, startling her.

"Eek! G-Get this filthy bird away from me!" she screeched. If more Pokémon used Screech that loud, it'd be a scary good move.

The girl dropped all of her bags and her purse when she shrieked. I quickly scooped up two of the many bags and her purse, flapping my wings as hard as I could up to the top of the building next to us. The girl shouted every profanity I think I've ever heard as I lifted the heavy bags up to the top.

I threw the bags on top of the room, lying out in exhaustion. It was a at least a six story building I just carried the bags up. The burn was hurting like hell now. I could barely even move.

That girl, though, was probably making her way to the top of the building as I rested, though. There was no other choice. I started to glow a familiar white and my shape began to change. Picturing the Pokémon in my mind, I transformed into a Staravia within a few seconds. The burn scarring my back grew in proportion, causing more and more pain, but at least I had the strength to fly off the building. I scooped the bags into my beak again, this time flying high in the air and descending into an empty looking alleyway several blocks away. I shuddered as I landed in the dark alley, memories of the time I was kidnapped flashing through my mind. The uneasy atmosphere made me promptly get to work instead of musing to myself. I quickly turned into my human form and started searching the bags for clothes. The best part about the girl I robbed was the fact that she was extremely thin. Her clothes almost fit perfectly. It always struck me as odd why girls would be this thin willingly...and renewed my desire to put on some weight.

The burn flared painfully as I put on a shirt. Even though my eyes were able to see better in the dark, I didn't really take much time to actually look at the details of what I was wearing. There was still a lot of extra clothes by the time I was completely dressed. The likely spoiled girl bought literally all kinds of articles of clothes besides the usual. It was the first time in years I was actually able to tie my hair into a ponytail. Once fully dressed, I finally took a chance to get a good look at the pink purse. Surprisingly, it was less of a purse and it was more of a traveling bag, having multiple pouches and pockets, along with a tough material rather than something made just for looks. Was she on a journey?

"There we go," I mused to myself softly as I dug through the bag, finding a smaller purse (this time actually a purse). I unzipped it and found a stack of Pokémon dollars held together by a clip. "30,000...I actually expected her to have more," I muttered, slightly upset.

I kept on digging through the purse. Underneath the money I found lipstick, mascara, foundation, and most surprisingly, a compacted Poké Ball.

"You've been witnessing all of this, haven't you?" I said softly, a bit of bitterness in my voice due to the fact that I had a witness. I set the ball back in the purse, zipped it up, and set it next to the traveling bag.

"Wait...if she had a Pokémon...she may have supplies," I told myself, kneeling down and searching every pouch of the bag. I finally spotted a few vials and sprays in one of the side bags. "Potion, Potion, Antidote...just a bunch of different types of Potions! Not a single Burn Heal!"

I lowered my head in defeat. The chance that I wouldn't actually have interact with anyone was dashed. There really was no other choice. Looking out of the alley unto the street, people kept walking on by. None looked into the alleyway, all focused on their daily lives. Hopefully that wouldn't change. I stuffed all of the clothes and the purse into the pink traveling bag, carrying by a convenient shoulder strap. I took a deep breath, though it didn't really help my heart pound any less. I took my first steps out of the alley, body shaking out of fear. I covered my eyes with my hand, the sunlight doing it's usual greeting to denizens of the dark. I turned right, deciding I'd just go straight until I found a Pokémon Mart. Every step hurt, though, as t he burn formed across most of my back.

Eventually, after only a few minutes, I took a small break and just stood there. Multiple people passed and I got a few strange looks. Everything together caused me to start panicking. I looked to my right, seeing various pastries through a window. Besides the delectable food I wish I had time to buy, I noticed my appearance. My silver hair was extremely frizzled from top to the middle of my back even though they were , though my face appeared clean for the most part. I'd have to make it a point to check the bag for a brush. I also finally got a good look at the clothes I was wearing. The shirt was black, adorned with a white floral pattern near the bottom right. Good thing Sinnoh's climate was cold, or the heat with the sun would probably be unbearable to my back. The pants were a bit more simple, just being dark blue and denim.

As I kept on looking at myself, the door to the bakery opened, ringing a small bell and startling me.

"You look lost, dear," the old lady said as she walked out smiling.

I instinctively took a few steps back.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a sad frown.

"N-Nothing," I stuttered.

"Come in, dear. Let me help you," she smiled.

"I-I can't!" I finally shouted before running away from the store. I heard shouts of protest from the lady behind me, the sound drowning out as I got further and further away.

"She was probably a nice lady..." I muttered to myself after finally slowing down. "A few years ago I would have trusted her."

I walked along at the same pace as before, looking a bit more carefully for a Poké Mart this time around. A few blocks of walking in the city and soon I was face to face with the front door of the store. I meekly walked in with my heart racing, especially when the security guard at the front door waved. I walked by with saying a word.

Thankfully there wasn't many people. I quickly scanned the aisles for the Burn Heal and after finding it, picked up three.

"That will be 750," the cashier smiled. Wordlessly, I handed her the money, stuffed the items into my bag and walked out as soon as possible.

I walked along the sidewalk and headed for the alleyway I changed in. While walking, I looked into the bag to check a Burn Heal. Right when I was about to pull it out, I ran into someone.

"Oof!" I grunted as I got knocked back to the ground, bottles and sprays flying out of the pouch. A healthy mix of fear and anger set in as I looked up to see my fellow victim. By the time I looked up, though, my eyes widened and I started shaking.

"S-Sorry!" the familiar boy in front of me said, already over me and holding his hand out to me.

Lucas, the one person I tried as hard I could to get away from, was right over me, two Poké Balls clipped to his belt.

* * *

**As a cool change of pace, I've already started on the next chapter! I'm definitely on a roll to getting the next chapter up within a week. /hopingfortoomuchsadface**


End file.
